Virtual reality experiences, such as single and multi-player virtual reality games, merge video images with real physical actions in a way that can provide a powerfully interactive experience to a user. For example, a virtual reality system may utilize a head-mounted display (HMD) in combination with a tracking controller that tracks user actions, gestures, and motion in a virtual reality environment. Moreover, such a system may permit the user to move freely within the virtual reality environment and attempt to render video imagery that is responsive to the unconstrained movement of the user.
However, a major limitation associated with conventional virtual reality systems is that video quality tends to be inversely proportional to the freedom with which the user is permitted to move within the virtual reality environment. As such, conventional video rendering solutions are typically capable of providing cinematic or high quality video only for static user viewing perspectives.